Advertising.com recently issued a report with some intriguing findings from the company’s bi-annual video study. The study consisted of a survey which assessed consumer perceptions and usage of streaming content. Gathering data from a sample of 500 consumers over the age of 18, the survey used a series of questions related to when, what and why consumers view video online.
The study indicates that the majority of consumers are viewing video online; 62 percent of respondents claim to watch videos on the Internet. Another interesting finding shows that, contrary to popular opinion, these viewers are not simply young adults viewing user-generated videos. The majority of viewers—69 percent—falls into the 35 and older group. And that 69 percent prefers viewing news clips over YouTube videos. Lynda Clarizio, president of Advertising.com believes this preference highlights that:
The internet is still seen first and foremost as an information resource. With news clips remaining the most popular type of streamed content, video viewing habits reflect that status.
Where is the online video trend headed, and what can consumer behavior tell us about shifting preferences?
Clarizio adds that:
…it will be interesting to see how viewership evolves with the rise of social networks, more diverse video content, increased interactive gaming, and other such advances in online entertainment. I think we may see a shift in usage toward recreation; these latest figures certainly hint at that trend.
Will there be an evolution in usage as Clarizio predicts, with the focus on web video as entertainment taking a firmer hold?
Whatever the outcome, advertisers will need to pay close attention to the way consumer preferences for online video consumption develop and shift. Advertising.com’s report shows that consumers accept video advertising as part of the video experience and even prefer ads to subscription fees. The shorter the ads, the better they performed for advertisers in terms of percentage of ad played. Shorter ads also make the experience more pleasurable for consumers engaging with the video content.
Online video advertising has yet to find its equivalent to TV’s 30 second ad spot however. Video advertising online may be a more complex beast, but much of that complexity could work to the advertiser’s advantage. While online video provides a rich context for analyzing consumer behavior and closely targeting ads to viewer preferences, marketers and content providers have not fully tapped this resource. Video search will begin to play a major role, as more advanced video search engines provide transcripts of video files which enhance search results, heighten user experience and allow deeper analysis of consumer behavior and preferences online.
